Fire arm



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model;

J.NEEDHAM, BREEGH LOADNG FIRE ARM. 1Y0-.248,339l Patented Oct. 18,1881.

(No llodelfv 2' Sheets-Sheet 2 J. NEE-BEAM. BREBGH LOADING, Pm: ARM.

"Nog 248,339.

Patented oct. 13,1881.`

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIICE.

JOSEPH NEEDHAM, OF HANDSWORTII, COUNTY OF STAFFORD, ASSlGNOR TO WILLIAM VJELLINGTON GREENER, OF BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 248,339, dated October 18, 1881. Applieationiled August 6, 1881. (No model.) Patented in England April T, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that 1, JOSEPH NEEDIIAM, of Handsworth, in the county et' Stafford, England, have invented certain lnmrovements in BreechLoading Fire-Arms, of which the fol lowing is a specilication.

My invention relates to that class of 'drearmsknowu as drop-down7guns; and the invention consists, first, in so constructing the 1o extractors of a double gun that either one may be operated independently ot' the other; second, in so connecting the extractors with the lock that the latter shall act upon the former in such a manner as to eject the spent shell from the barrel; and, third. in means for rendering the gun more sate when cocked, all as hereinafter more fully described.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, showing the breech closed and the gun cocked. Fig. 2

zo is a similar view, showing the parts in the position they occupy when the breech is open and the shell ejected. Fig.3 is arear-end View of the barrels, with their extractors and ejectorlevers; and Fig.l4 is a side elevation of the z 5 tumbler and scar, shown detached. i

This inventiouis applicable alike to both single and d ouble guns, but in the drawings I have represented the invention as applied to a double gun, inasmuch as that is the style oi` 3o gun on which itwill generally' be used, and which will best serve to illustrate my invention. In the first place, the extractor-s O, instead of being lnadeof a single plate, so as to withdraw the shells from both barrels at once, are made of two separate plates, as shown in Fig. 3, each having a. separate stem, c, and a separate guide-pin, a', lhetwo stems e being made tlat on their adjoining faces, so as to tit side by side in the same hole. 0n their under faces these 4o ,stems e are cut away or iiattened, as shown in Figs. l and 2, and a screw, b, is inserted so that its point willrrest in the recess thus formed, thereby serving as a stop to limit. their outward movement. i

In the rear end ofthe lump underneath the barrels I form a central recess in whichlpivot two levers, l, they being arranged si'e by side on the pivot a, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and which lterm the ejectors. Theselevers have 5o their upper endsresting against the forward face of the extractors C, as shown in Fig. 1, each lever bearing against its corresponding extractor, so that either may operate independently of the other.. As shown in Figs. 1

and 2, these ejectors or levers l have their lower ends provided with a short arm which projects backward nearly at a right angle from the body ot' the lever, upon which the arm ot' the lock operatesto eject the shell, as hereinafter explained. The hammer or tumbler H 6o in this case is shown as being `arranged internally with a. ringpin or striker, o, pivoted to its upper end and arranged so that its point will strike at the center of the head of the shell. As shown,this firing-pin c has a shoulder near its front end, and a small bolt cutaway on one side, so as to form an eccentric, is mounted in a transverse hole in su'ch a position that when turned in one position it will engagewith the shoulder of the tiring-pin or striker, and thus 7o act as a guard or safety attachment to prevent the gun from being discharged accidentally,

4there being a small arm orA lever attached to this stop g ou the outside of the lock-plate, as shown iu dotted lines, by whichit can be turned at will in either direction.

To the tumbler or its axis T an arm,.m, is rigidly secured, as shown in Figs. l and 2, its front end projecting forward through a recess far enough to rest upon the rearwardly-project- 8o ing arm of the ejector-lever l, as represented iu Fig. 2. 4

A small projection, o, is formed on the rear face of the lump, nearly opposite the pivot of the levers l, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, which 85 projection o, as the breech is opened by dropping the barrels, comes in contact with the arm m and raises it until the projection o, moving iu the varc of a circle, slips from under the end of arm m, which, being impelled by the main- 9o spring, is suddenlythrown down until it strikes upon the arm ot the lever Z, to which it imparts a sudden movement, and which in turn acts with equal force and suddenness upon the extractor C, thereby causing the latter to eject the shell entirely from the barrel, as represented in Fig. 2.

As thearm met thelock,after having struck the lever l, as above described, will still rest upon' it, it follows that as the barrels continue mo in Figs. 1", 2, and 4, but more distinctly in the' escaso their dropping movement the arm m is raised far enough to permit the nose or point of the sear to enter the i bent ornotchofthe tumbler, whereby the arm is cocked in the act of dropping the barrels, so that the dropping;` of the barrels, it will be seein-has the twofold effect otfejecting the shells and cooking the gun, the two acts takingI place almost. simultaneously. From the fact that the arm m of the lock that has not been rel-eased will still-remain'raised for a shortdistance iu consequence of' the lower arm of levert cominggraduiidyin contact with the breech-piece or ot' the arm m, which will cause the lever Z to turn gradually on its pivot. and impart tov its extractor a corresponding movement. It will therefore be seen that if both barrels have been tired the dropping ot' the barrels will ejecthoth shells and cock both locks; but if only one barrel has been red then ..he dropping of the barrels will eject the spent shell, retract the live` shell, and at the same time recock the lock that was released.

Nhile l have thus shown a" veryl simple means of connecting the locks with the tractors by means oll the arms m and the le vers Z, it is obvious thatthey may he connected.

by other means, or devices, and still be made to produce thesamercsult; and hence l do not con line Inyselt'to these special devices or means, as this feature or part ot' my invention consists, broadly, in so connecting' the locks with the extractor-s that/thedropping;` of the barrels shall cause the inainspringot' thelo k or locks to act as the motor tor ejcctint,T the shell or shells. v-

It is obvious that the lhamniers iuay be arranged externally, ifilesired, and that, instead ofthe arms m, links inay be used..

' It is alsoobvious that instead of arranging the operatingdevices internally, theyinay be arranged externally; but I prefer to' locate them internally, as shown.

The third' feature of my inventionisshown latter. As there shown, each sear S is provided with a projection, t, whiclris so located that it Willbe pressed against hy the hammer or tumbler Has the latter is forced back in the act of cooking the arm, and which thus acts to force the nose or point of thevsear into the bent or notch ot' the tumbler to its full depth, thus causing the scar to take a tirm hold on the tumbler, and thereby rendering the arm more safe.` A spring, y, is applied to the sear, as shown in the drawings, or in any suitable manner. This feat-ure of my invention is appiicable to all gun-loeks in which a tumbler and' scar 4are used, but is more especially valuare located internally, Where-they cannot be seen, and which are therefore termed hamlnerless7 guns.

It is obvious that the locks maybe arranged to bc cocked by handand still be made to operate upon the extractors so as to eject the shells, which is the main feature of my present invention.

By constructing a gun on this plan the drop- ,ping` of the barrels ejects the spent shell or shells, and at the same time cocks the arm and renders it more sate. The locating of the hanr,

ywhich are so frequently caused by the external hammers being struck or caught against objects, such as the limbs of trees, the sides or seats of boats or other vehicles, fences, and the like; but this feature, as also that ot' cooking the arm by the dropping of the barrels, I. do not claim as my invention, they having been previously used by others, but notin the man-l ner here shown. Y

At' the rearend of the lump is formed a tongue or projection, J, upon which a pivored latch, I, engages to lock the barrels down, the latch I being,l moved bythe lianddever L, -located under the' guard, as shown in Figs. l and 2.

' I ani aware that arms have been patented in which the hammer was cocked by thedropping of the barrel, and also that a gun has been patented in which three barrels are shown, with one double and one single extractor, all operated together; but said devices are not adapted for use in a gun such as I have described, and I do not claim them as my invention; but

1. In combination with a double-barreled drop-'down'gun7 the doubleextractors C C, both being` arranged side by side, and having their stems a hotlrtted in the same hole,.substan tially as'and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with a pivoted or dropdown barre-l, B, the extractor C, ejector-lever l, and a lock provided with a projection., m, or

equivalent means for operating said lever for the purpose of ejecti-ng the spent shell, substantially as set forth. 1

3. In combination with a drop-down barrel, the lever l, pivoted to and beingI carried by said barrel, and varranged to engage with 1an armor projection on the tumbler of thcflock fcrvthe purpose of automatically cooking the arm, as set forth.

4. The combination, -in al drop-down gun, of the extractor C, projection o, leverl, and arm to operate substantially as described,whereby the droppingof the barrel is made to automatiable in guns like this, in which the hammers IOO IXO

ma, connected to the lock, all being; arranged 

